Lovely Ljubljana

Ljubljana. I was worried as we approached the city as it appeared quite rundown and poor. The accommodation seemed a bit unorthodox too as we drew up beside an apartment building in central Ljubljana. However we had lovely newly furbished apartments and were actually very pleased. The general feel is of the former communist rule. Large square austere buildings all around, but also some beautiful buildings influenced more by the Italian and Austrian rule. The city is bouncing with activity and atmosphere at the moment as the European Basketball Championships are being held here. Also Slovenia beat Albania at football last night. The cafe culture down by the river is buzzing.

Padlocks on bridges and couples smooching nearby reminded us of Paris on the Seine - apparently the padlocks lock the couples together for ever, so maybe it is insane? We all  went up Ljubljiana Castle this morning, some via the funicular, others via the path. We were treated to a history of the  area over the last 5200 years, including the pole dwellers and all the various peoples who conquered the area over the centuries. The Austrians, the Huns, the Italians, the Slavs and even the French. In 1991 it became Slovenia and seems to be on the up ever since.  The commentary was so riveting Anita and Prue were chastised for ogling at one of the many wedding parties instead of paying attention.  The most interesting part was the hamster excercise wheel  capstain type arrangement whereby two blindfolded prisoners hamstered away for 10 minutes to bring a bucket full of water up from the well. The well survived the earthquakes in 1511 and 1895 but dried up when the congniscenti blasted a tunnel through the hill and upset the watercourse and the well was drained dry and the surrounding area flooded. The museum houses the earliest known wheel in the world, and as a bonus it is attached to a wooden axel.
The cars are all very new and the city looks to be on the up. The people are very friendly and are taught English at school. We feel safe here and it is 26 degrees centigrade.
I agree with the above \(JNB) - this is a fantastic city and gives hope for the demise of radical socialism! The beautiful varied architecture coupled with the lovely cafes and restaurants make this city a must to visit. There is a vitality about the place that is encouraging. We all had a lovely pre dinner drink at the art deco 13th floor of one of local highest buildings. Lovely vistas of the city were enjoyed by all and most of all the handbrakes left and allowed the boys there own time for 30 minutes - more later!